Searching for the Light in the Darkness

The bright side of the crisis.

A contradiction?

A sign that the madness is setting in?

Perhaps yes. But that’s not what I was thinking about.

It is obvious that much suffering has been caused by the current situation and this should not be celebrated or minimized. To those who say that nothing is really happening, my own sister is working at one of these testing clinics, and yes, there are people being tested.

Yes, the medical staff is very concerned.

Yet, perhaps there is a silver lining to this very dark cloud.

When a wave of crisis hits, the foundation you are standing on is revealed for what it is.

If you have built your life on the pursuit of pleasure, what are you left with when everything you live for is canceled?

If you have spent your life grasping for wealth…for bigger and better things, what will you do when there is nothing to grasp for?

If you have built your life based on your own ability to achieve, what will you do about something that you can’t do anything about?

These are questions that people in other countries have had to deal with for many years. Outbreaks and pandemics have been a normal way of life in places like Africa for a long time. Yet, when the same issues come to North America, it is a sign of the end of the world.

Maybe it is the end of the world. Who knows.

What if this just the end of the world that we always knew…and what if in the long run, that will be a good thing?

If we are forced to examine what we have always been doing, without even thinking of it, that is a good thing.

If we are forced to examine what we really believe, and why, that can be very constructive.

If we stop thinking about everything we want and turn our focus to what we actually need, that could be worthwhile.

Maybe what we will find is that our lives have been built on sand. On things that have no lasting value.

Maybe we will find that our lives had everything…except meaning.

Maybe what we will find is that we need to stop worrying about the entire world, but instead, focus on our local businesses and way of life.

Our local businesses are the ones who keep our local programs going…those cheap international conglomerates only care about keeping themselves going.

Perhaps what we will find is that what we really need is not more things, but better relationships with other people.

Real relationships are expensive but cheap talk doesn’t cut it in tough times.

Perhaps we will find that our faith that was placed in an hour of fun worship on Sunday morning, needs to be placed in something greater than ourselves. Something that will change our everyday lifestyle.

Something that can give hope amid trials and suffering.

We may not be able to change the crisis that has come upon us…but we can change for the better through it.

If we want to…

On the other hand, we could also become the monster in an attempt to defeat the monster.

We will change. That is a given.

How will you change?

That is something that only you can determine.